If you had any doubts that the collaboration frenzy that has gripped the watch world has cooled, the first day of Geneva Watch Days may have gone a long way toward silencing that particular intrusive thought. Not only did we see a formal alliance between Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro that we told you about yesterday, but Moser, one of our favorite high end independents, and Studio Underd0g, one of our favorite affordable independents, joined forces in an unexpected way. The Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit and the Studio Underd0g Passion Fruit 03Series play to each brand’s unique strengths, and reveal that while it might seem like an odd match on paper, these brands really do have a lot in common.
Let’s look at the perpetual calendar first. The stainless steel Endeavour case measures 42mm in diameter and is a very wearable 12.8mm tall. The dial has a blissful, tropical quality to it, dominated by a solid gold base dial and a lacquered purple surround. It runs, of course, on the HMC manufacture caliber 800, which is simply one of the best perpetual calendar movements in the game, providing more information at a glance you are likely to realize at first.
The Passion Fruit 03Series chronograph could be the Endeavour’s twin separated at birth – it makes use of the same color combinations but transposes them to a chronograph layout. It bears a lot of similarities to the original Studio Underd0g chronos, and the “passion fruit” theme feels like something the brand may have done on their own regardless of their partner for this release. It’s worth noting here that beyond the nature of the collaboration itself, the Passion Fruit 03Series marks the first time we’ve seen Studio Underd0g use a Sellita SW510 M caliber in one of their watches. This is a monopusher chronograph and represents a significant step up from the Seagull movements found in the brand’s original chronograph run. The case is stainless steel, and measures 38.5mm.
This is a really fun collaboration. Moser and Studio Underd0g feel like kindrid spirits on nearly opposite sides of the watch industry. But each brand’s playful design sensibility and genuine sense of humor pair well together. Both brands are fond of playing with color, but the connection runs deeper. They each seem completely willing to experiment and try new things, and, frankly, to rattle watch media types and collectors with bold (and sometimes divisive) design choices.
If there’s one thing about this release that’s a bummer, it’s that the watches will only be sold as a set. This, honestly, was such a disappointment when I first read it in the product info that I replied back to our PR rep to confirm even though the language made it very clear. It would have been, I think, for Moser fans who simply can’t spend five figures on one of their pieces to have a little taste of the brand via the Studio Underd0g piece. And I’d be fascinated to know if making the Studio Underd0g piece available separately was ever a consideration. It stands to reason, of course, that we haven’t seen the last Studio Underd0g with this movement, but for now only well heeled Moser collectors will have a chance to own one. The retail price for the set is $64,900, and 100 will be made.
More information on H. Moser can be found here, and you can check out the rest of Studio Underd0g’s releases here.
